Brutality
/bruːˈtælɪti/noun
The quality of being cruel, harsh, or violently merciless.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin brutus, meaning “heavy, dull, stupid,” which later fed the idea of someone acting like a beast rather than a rational human being.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gwere-
“To devour or swallow, the deep ancestral idea behind beastly force.”
Latin
Latin
brutus
“Heavy, dull, stupid; lacking reason.”
Late Latin
Latin
brutalis
“Brute-like, coarse, irrational.”
Old French
Old French
brutalite
“Cruelty, savagery; the state of being brutish.”
Middle English
English
brutalite
“Cruel or savage behavior.”
Modern English
English
brutality
“Cruel, violent, or merciless behavior.”
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